About Time
by torresxrobbinz
Summary: A drunken JJ let's her and Emily's secret relationship slip.


**I got the idea for this fic from an AU photoset on aestheticajc on Instagram, and I thought it would be really cute to write. I hope everyone seems in character. Don't forget to leave reviews and enjoy!**

Jennifer Jareau took another swig of Rossi's hard liquor. She was already nearing her second or third glass, which drew wary gazes from her team members. JJ was normally a white wine kind of gal. She wasn't fond of the flavor of any other alcoholic drinks, and she wasn't a huge fan of the disoriented feeling that was associated with being drunk either. Tonight, however, JJ was craving a sweet release from her dizzying thoughts.

The team was returning from an overall intense case in Colfax, CA, but the involvement of kids as their UNSUB's object of affection made it particularly difficult for JJ. A 17 year old student had hacked into his schoolboard's database to get the personal information of his fellow peers, killing the ones he deemed to have wronged him in some capacity. One victim was an eleven year old boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. The resemblance the child held to her Henry had shaken Jennifer up a bit. That combined with the stress of the divorce from Will and the struggle to find a childcare plan that satiated both of their schedules, JJ was finding herself beginning to reach her limit. She needed a drink. Or two.

The mental strain the events of the last nine months had caused was catching up with Jennifer. Three months ago, Spencer had confronted her about _the confession_. They hadn't talked about it since Rossi's wedding six months prior. They hadn't talked much at all in those six months, honestly, as JJ feared Spence did hold some romantic feelings for her, while Reid knew she hadn't meant it about him in the first place. She'd meant it about _Emily_.

After six months, Spencer had grown tired of the awkward dance they were doing around each other. He missed his best friend and decided enough was enough. He confronted her about what he knew to be the true nature of Jennifer's confession while they were away on a case in Seattle. The conversation, though painful for JJ, had been just the push she needed to begin the process of acceptance. She told Will a week later. His reaction had been surprisingly, _unsurprised_. It took another week for JJ to muster up enough courage to confess it to Emily. The older woman was initially, and rightfully, angry that JJ had waited _so _long, and for just the most inconvenient time, apparently, to tell her. A fight ensued, and Emily ignored JJ for the next week. Jennifer showed up at her apartment the following Thursday, drenched from the pouring rain and eyes rimmed red from her tears. They kissed for the first time, since Paris, that night, complete with the years worth of harbored anger and pain. _Such a cliche._

That night was about two months ago, and JJ and Emily have been seeing each other since. Sneaking around under the team's noses and spending the night at each other's places. Emily was apprehensive about telling the team. After all, she was the Unit Chief, and despite the fact that relationships between team members were strictly prohibited, Emily wasn't sure how it would affect their ability to function as a unit.

JJ, on the other hand, was sick of sneaking around. She wanted to tell them. Her and Will's divorce was almost finalized, and she had been hiding her feelings for the brunette for thirteen years. She was _tired_.

What Jennifer Jareau was about to find out was that secrets and alcohol do not mix.

* * *

JJ rolled her eyes as she noticed Emily had chosen a seat on top of the polished wooden furniture about a foot to the right from her spot on the jet's couch. All JJ wanted was a little comfort, preferably from her _girlfriend_, but she guessed Rossi's whiskey would suffice.

"Yeah, Emily, I haven't heard much about Mendoza in a while. How's he doing?" Tara Lewis questioned, joining in on the conversation which appeared to have taken a turn in the direction of relationships since JJ had been actively listening a couple minutes ago.

"Oh, yes! How _is _that going?" Penelope pried. The bubbly technical analyst had joined the team in California after Emily felt her expertise would be best used in the field. "Details, honey. I need details."

The blonde's eyebrows raised as she looked to Emily. She still hadn't told _Garcia_ they broke up? One of Penelope's most notable qualities was how she constantly found herself sticking her nose in her friends' personal business. It had been two months now. Penelope must've asked about Andrew within that time period. Had Emily told her they were still together? JJ clenched her jaw, feeling the redness of irritation begin to spread through her veins as she heard Emily answer.

"Um, you know, we're doing great."

Jennifer scoffed before knocking back the remaining liquid in her glass, which, to her dismay, wasn't much.

Rossi's brow quirked at his colleague's unusual verbality. He made a mental note to limit her alcohol intake.

Penelope's gaze flickered to JJ for a moment, curious as to why her friend had scoffed. She stared for a moment in her slightly drunken haze before resuming her interrogation on Emily.

"Seriously?" Penelope complained. "That's all you're going to give me?"

"Yep," Emily responded, popping the 'p'. "Because it would be _unprofessional _to talk about in front of the team."

JJ pursed her lips, knowing that line had been directed at her.

"You know what?" Penelope's words were beginning to slur together, the alcohol she consumed starting take affect. "I don't think I like Unit Chief Emily Prentiss."

"Me neither," JJ muttered under her breath. She brought her glass up to her mouth, but when she didn't feel the sour substance slide down her throat, she huffed. It was empty. JJ hoisted herself up and felt the room spin as she stood on her own two feet. She started towards the cabinet located at the front of the jet, nearly tripping over Emily's feet before Dave stopped her in her tracks. In her inebriated state, Jennifer stumbled backwards even though the older man hadn't laid a finger on her. Emily watched on in concern, but a creeping frustration prevented her from reaching a hand out to steady her wobbling girlfriend.

"Oh no," Rossi took the glass out of JJ's loose grip. They were quite expensive, and he wanted to avoid the confrontational, "_I told you so"_, conversation with Krystall at all costs, if she dropped it. "I think you've had enough, _Bella_."

"I guess that depends on what your definition of '_enough_' is," JJ quipped as she reached up to grab her glass but missed it completely due to her disintegrated hand-eye coordination.

Dave's questioning eyes found Emily's. He'd been suspicious of the two women's interactions for a couple months now. Well, truthfully, he'd been suspicious of them since he met them, but the small gestures he had picked up on over the years had increased substantially in the last two months. Resting a hand on the other's back, lingering gazes, pairing up with each other on cases, etc. The real kicker was the numerous times Emily had claimed their hotel didn't have enough rooms available so they would have to share. David Rossi didn't share rooms, so he'd checked, and there were plenty of rooms available every time.

When Emily only shrugged in response to his questioning gaze, he narrowed his eyes and sent her a glare that said '_thanks for the help'_.

"_My _definition of enough is when I have to prevent one of my best agents from busting her head open," Dave said. "Also, you're going the wrong way. The cabinet where we keep the liquor is that way."

The veteran agent pointed towards the front of the jet. JJ spun around, with minimal dizziness this time. "Oh."

Matt Simmons chuckled lightly in his seat. He looked up and saw the crooked grin on Tara's face as she looked to Luke, who was biting back a smirk of his own. None of them had been in the midst of a drunk JJ before. It was a new, and quite amusing, experience.

"Yeah."

Rossi sat his drink down next to Emily before placing his hands on JJ's shoulders, the fatherly instincts he felt for the younger woman taking over. "Why don't we just sit you back down over here for a little bit, huh?"

JJ mumbled something incoherent in reply as she plopped herself down onto the couch, but it was clear from her expression that she wasn't thrilled about not having more alcohol at her disposal.

"Let's play a game!" Penelope exclaimed, eager to reroute the stiffness that had filled their limited airspace. "Everyone say what their favorite sound is."

"Garcia, in what world is that a fun game?" Luke questioned his progressingly drunk friend.

Penelope glowered at him. "In the world of Penelope Garcia, Newbie. That's where."

Luke took a step back and put his hands up, feigning surrender.

"Tara, you go first.."

Tara's eyes widened. How the hell did she answer this?

"Um, well," she started, a smirk forming on her face as she decided to go with a joke. "Luke's whimpers after I make a joke about his mom always brings me quite a bit of pleasure."

Tara took another sip of her drink, watching Luke's glare with amusement.

"How about you, Gumdrop?" Penelope's sweet tone was directed towards the blonde sitting in front of her.

JJ's eyebrows shot up, her thoughts jumbled in a drunken haze. The combination of a bit too much alcohol, a need for comfort, and frustration with her girlfriend led words she would have _never _said, had she been sober, to come flying out of her mouth.

"Emily's moan," JJ slurred, rolling her head towards Emily with a drunken smile and glazed over azure eyes.

A gasp escaped Penelope's mouth, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

"JJ, you can't say that out loud!" Emily growled through gritted teeth.

Jennifer knew she had pissed Emily off; the way her jaw was clenched gave that away, but the blonde was too intoxicated to care.

"Oops."

Emily rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's lack of remorse. She knew it was only because she was drunk out of her mind, but that did nothing to simmer the feeling of betrayal burning through her chest.

"Did she just-" Penelope stuttered, her dumbfounded expression jumping between Tara and Luke as she searched for confirmation that she had just heard the words that came out of her best friend's beautiful face correctly.

"It's about time."

Garcia spun around to Rossi, who stood smirking at the two women.

"You knew?" Penelope's tone raised about an oactive.

Dave shrugged. "I have eyes, don't I?"

Penelope shook her head at the older man. He was useless. She turned, looking to Tara, Matt, and Luke for any sign that they had been clued in as well.

"We _all _knew!" The three replied in unison.

The eccentric blonde's mouth bobbed; open and closed, open and closed. Why hadn't she been informed of this?

Emily's eyes all but popped out of her head.

"You _what_?" How could they have known? She could have sworn she and JJ had been extra careful.

"I told you," JJ quipped with a smirk Emily wanted desperately to wipe from her face.

No one answered Emily's query. Penelope turned, targeting Luke with her judgemental stare. "Even _he _knew?"

"Hey!"

"Look, Penelope," JJ mumbled. Her friend's outburst was beginning to get on her limited amount of nerves. "We didn't tell anyone."

Penelope gaped at the blonde. "Then how did they all know?"

"That's a lie actually," JJ added. The conversation she had with Spence a few months back making itself known once again. "I told Spence."

"You told the blubbering genius and not me?"

Being one of the few on the jet that was mostly sober, Emily picked up on the hurt that laced their friend's tone. Despite being mad at Jennifer, she didn't want the woman to get blamed for something that wasn't her fault.

"In her defense, she didn't have much of a choice."

Now concern took over the more emotionable woman, and Emily wasn't sure if she had made things better or worse.

"That's a story for another time," JJ breathed, wishing she had a drink in her hand to throw back.

Penelope simply nodded, her mind struggling to piece together the overload of information. Her eyes suddenly widened, _Will_.

"Oh my god, what about Will?"

JJ grimaced. "Another long story, Pen."

"Well, I'm happy for you guys," said Rossi, after a moment of silence. He gave Emily's knee a pat of approval as he took a seat in the chair next to Matt. Emily returned the gesture with a tight lipped smile. Dave had always been like a father figure to her and knowing she had his approval did help to dim some of the anger she held towards JJ for blurting out their secret in such an inappropriate way.

"Me too," Tara smiled, lifting her glass into the air like she was about to clink it against another.

"Me three," Matt tagged on with one of his signature heartening grins.

"I would say 'me four' but I'm afraid Garcia may never let me see the light of day if I do," Luke teased the technical analyst he held a deep fondness for.

"You're damn right I wouldn't," she shot back with a playful glint in her brown eyes.

"You guys are really okay with this?" The Unit Chief questioned her team. She and JJ had already agreed to maintain their professional demeanor during cases, but Emily was still hesitant about their relationship being out in the open. The fraternization policy within the Bureau was strict, but they were even less permissive when it came to intimate relationships within a team.

"Positive," Dave confirmed. "Cruz won't hear a word about this."

Emily quirked a quizzical brow as she scanned the rest of the team's facial expressions. They all looked supportive.

"That is as long as you two lovebirds promise to keep it professional on cases?" The gray haired man probed. He assumed they would be. The two agents had never been anything but - except for when they were inebriated, obviously. But he needed the confirmation.

"Of course," Emily verified without missing a beat.

For a moment, Emily felt like she wasn't the Unit Chief. Like everything was as it was eight years ago. The moment, though short lived, was a relief to the agent. She missed not having all the responsibility of her team members weighing on her shoulders.

"Does that mean I'm off the hook?" JJ questioned in a childish tone she knew Emily couldn't resist.

Emily gave Jennifer a warm smile, her lingering frustration diminishing as she looked into those hazy blue eyes and dorky, lopsided smile. She missed being carefree and joking around with the team. It was something she felt like she couldn't do since she assumed the role of Unit Chief. Maybe she was just trying to replace Hotch, even though no one could ever replace a man like him; she wasn't sure. But she did know she wanted to feel some of that freedom again. She wondered if her relationship with Jennifer being out in the open would give her that.

"Maybe."

JJ threw her head back against the headrest of the couch.

"Em-i-ly," she groaned, sounding out the syllables of her name and tossing her head to the beat of each one.

Emily bit back a grin, feeling her face flush. JJ's cuteness factor was increasing rapidly and the brunette was finding it hard to remain mad at her.

'_God, my girlfriend really is the most adorable woman in the world,' _Emily's feelings for JJ intruded the hesitant side of her brain.

"They know now. Can you at least come sit next to me?" Jennifer weakly patted the open space next to her, feeling less drunk and more tired as time went on.

"Fine," Emily huffed her defeat. Her reluctance was an act that the whole team saw through, and they all shared a knowing glance.

Emily settled herself on the couch. An unexpected wave of courage rushed through her veins, and the brunette found herself wrapping an arm around JJ's shoulders. The tension in them immediately released at the sensation of her touch, and Jennifer released a sigh of contentment. This was all she had ever wanted.

Penelope, whom had resigned herself to the seat next to Tara, smiled at her friends with a sense of pride. She had known the two agents had feelings for each other for _years, _but they were just too damn stubborn to do anything about it.

"I guess Derek officially owes me that twenty bucks, huh?"

"What?" JJ croaked, feeling groggy. The sensation of Emily rubbing her hand up and down her shoulder was putting the younger agent to sleep.

"Oh, he and I bet on you two _ages _ago."

Emily sat up a little straighter. Derek knew?

"I thought you said you didn't know?"

"Oh no, pussycat. I-"

Penelope was cut off by a fit of drunken laughter coming from JJ. The immaturity level of the things the normally mature woman found funny at that moment in time surprised everyone except for Emily, Garcia, and Rossi.

"Her mind goes to inappropriate places when she's drunk," Emily explained. Jennifer was going to be absolutely _humiliated _when she learned of all the idiotic things she had done while intoxicated tomorrow, and Emily was going to love every second of it.

"Moving on," Penelope chirped. "Like I was saying I _knew _you two had the hots for one another _eons _ago, but I didn't know, _know _you two were in a relationship because you only told Reid and not _me_."

"Another time, Penelope."

"Fine," Garcia admitted her defeat. She'd have to uncover why Reid found out before she did some other time. "But I am phoning Derek as soon as this plane lands and telling him all about your secret love affair."

Emily's mouth hung open as she debated whether she should address Garcia's use of the word "affair". She decided to let it go.

"Knock yourself out, PG."

Emily chuckled at the smile that lit up the other woman's face.

Rossi cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of his team. JJ sleepily lifted her head off of Emily's chest, looking at him through bleary eyes.

"I think this momentous occasion calls for a toast," He lifted his glass up as a gesture to the rest of the team. Emily scooted to the edge of the couch, forcing JJ to sit up all the way to support her weight on her own.

"So, can I get that drink now?" JJ tested the waters, feeling a bit more awake now that she was sitting up. She couldn't join a toast if she didn't have something to toast with.

Dave winked at the younger woman. "You can drink _in spirit_."

Emily placed a hand on the small of the pouting woman's back, rubbing it gently.

"To Emily and JJ," Dave began. "Thank God they finally admitted it."

Laughter fell from the team and groans fell from the couple. Glasses clinked between all six team members, and Emily couldn't help the huge grin that overtook her features; she was finally beginning to feel like herself again.

"_Salude_."


End file.
